Marble-shooter.



W. F. SWEET.

MARBLE SHOOTER. nruonxon FILED 212.19, 1910..

Patented June 13,1911.

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WELCOME F. SWEET, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MARBLE-SHOOTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11119 13, 1911,

Application filed February 19, 1910. Serial No. 544,766.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WELCOME F. SWEET, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Marble- Shooters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a marble shooter of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the marble shooter. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the longitudinal center of my improved marble shooter. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the marble shooter.

My invention relates to a toy or plaything in the form of a device particularly adapted for shooting marbles or small objects such as pebbles, dried beans, peas or the like, and the object of my invention is to construct a simple device comprising a holder and a spring, which latter when released shoots or propels the marble or other object with considerable force from its position on the holder.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain features of novelty hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings 1 designates the holder of the device which is preferably constructed of sheet metal bent into the form of a trough and formed integral with or fixed to one end of this holder is a curved handle 2 formed of a flat strip of metal.

The spring forming a part of my improved marble shooter is preferably formed of a single piece of resilient material, and comprises a curved handle portion 3, which is positioned immediately on top of the handle 2, and being fixed thereon by means of a rivet or in any suitable manner. The central portion 4 of the spring is bent so as to normally occupy a vertical position immediately above the rear portion of the holder -1 and the front portion of the spring is bent downward to form an arm 5 which normally occupies an inclined position immediately above the holder 1.

IVhen my improved toy or plaything is used for shooting marbles or the like the handle portions 2 and 3 of the device are grasped in the hand with the index finger positioned beneath the rear portion of the holder 1, and with the end of the thumb bearing against the upper end of the portion 4 of the spring. The free end of the arm 5 is now forced rearward until the lower end of said arm engages the top surface of the holder 1 at the rear end thereof, and this arm is held in this position by pressure of the thumb against the upper end of the portion 4. (See Fig. 1.) The marble or other now positioned on the holder 1 immediately in front of the spring arm 5, and when the pressure 'of the thumb on the part 4 is re lieved the spring arm 5 will swing forward to its normal position and as a result the marble or other object will he suddenly propolled or shot from the holder 1.

In a modified form illustrated in Fig. 4 the entire device is formed from a single piece of resilient material bent into proper form, and in constructing't-his form of device I prefer to separate the curved parts forming the handle in order that the device may be readily gripped by the hand.

A marble shooter of my improved construction is very simple, can be cheaply produced, and provides an interesting and amusing toy or plaything for children.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, a shah low' trough shaped holder, a curved handle projecting from one end thereof, and a propelling spring, one end of which is fixed to the curved handle, and the opposite free end of which is adapted to swing freely through the trough shaped holder, and be held in a set position against the rear portion of the trough-shaped holder by pressure against the central portion of said propelling spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of February, 1910.

WELCOME F. SWEET.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, ALMA GEBHART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

